Essay Film and Narrative Technique: First Symposium of the BAFTSS ‘Essay Film’ Research Group

Symposium report here

Venue: Bowland Auditorium, Berrick Saul Building, University of York

Organised by: BAFTSS & The Interdisciplinary Centre for Narrative Studies 

Keynote Speaker: Professor Laura Rascaroli.

The Essay film is defined as a very special kind of non-fiction, which employs fictional techniques. There is very little research on the way these films are scripted and how screenwriting comes into play in the phase of the film’s development. Documentary scripts rarely make it into the BFI library archives, as their minor collection testifies. The first aim of the symposium is to address this problem and develop an understanding of the work done in this area. The second aim of the symposium is to develop collaborations for the fostering of further research.

Full programme, with abstracts, here

Schedule:

Saturday, 18th November
13:00 – 13:45 Registration, coffee
13:45 – 14:00 Introduction
14:00 – 15:30 Panel 1 – Screenwriting Essay Films
15:30 – 16:00 Coffee Break
16:00 – 16:30 Keynote by Laura Rascaroli
16:30 – 17:30 Panel 2 – Essay Films in the West
17:30 – 18:00 Roundtable discussion
19:00 Dinner


Sunday, 19th November
09:45 – 10:00 Coffee
10:00 – 11:30 Panel 3 – The Essayistic in the East
11:30 – 12:30 Future Research
12:30    Conclusion

Symposium Organisers: Romana Turina (University of York), Richard Walsh (University of York)